301 E. Huron Street  
Ann Arbor, MI 48104  
Calendar.aspx  
City of Ann Arbor  
Formal Minutes - Draft  
Historic District Commission  
Thursday, March 12, 2026  
7:00 PM  
Larcom City Hall, 301 E Huron St, Second  
floor, City Council Chambers  
This meeting will be broadcast live on CTN Cable Channel 16, ATT Channel 99, and  
online at a2gov.org/watchCTN  
To speak at public comment call 206-337-9723 or 213-338-8477 or Toll Free 877-853-5247  
or 888-788-0099 Enter Meeting ID: 965 3669 9762  
A.  
CALL TO ORDER  
Chair Rochlen called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM stating: Welcome  
to the Thursday, March 12, 2026, in-person and electronic (hybrid)  
meeting of the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission. Public comment  
will be via in-person, via Zoom or via telephone. To speak during any of  
the public comment opportunities please call 877-853-5247 (Toll Free) or  
213-338-8477 and enter meeting ID 965 3669 9762. This information is  
also available on the published agenda, in the public notices section of  
the city website, and on the broadcast of this meeting on CTN channel  
Here's an overview of the sequence of events for each hearing on the  
agenda. First, Planning Services staff will deliver their report followed by a  
report from this month's review committee commissioners. Then, the  
applicant will provide their presentation and answer any questions from  
the commissioners. At that point, the hearing will be open to the public  
comment. Following public comment, the commission will make a motion  
and discuss the application. Finally, the approval from a majority of  
commissioners present will be required for a certificate of  
appropriateness to be granted.  
B.  
ROLL CALL  
Historic Preservation Coordinator and Principal Planner Jill Thacher  
called the roll.  
5 -  
Present:  
Chair David Rochlen, Benjamin Calderon, Steve Kaplan,  
Sarah Nisbett, and Jenna Carter  
2 - Jennifer Ross, and Chip Smith  
Absent:  
Others present:  
City Planner, Mariana Melin-Corcoran  
C.  
D.  
APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
The agenda was unanimously approved as presented.  
PUBLIC COMMENT - (3 Minutes per Speaker)  
Seeing no speakers at this time Chair Rochlen closed the Public  
Comment.  
E.  
UNFINISHED BUSINESS  
E-1.  
717 W Liberty new house SR w Attachments updated.pdf  
Attachments:  
STAFF PRESENTATION:  
Principal Planner, Jill Thacher presented the staff report. [See attached in  
agenda packet.]  
REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS:  
Commissioner Kaplan and Chair Rochlen visited the site as part of their  
review. They reported their findings and recommendations to the  
Commission.  
PUBLIC HEARING:  
The Applicant was present in person to respond to the Commission's  
inquires. Noting no speakers, the Vice Chair declared the public hearing  
closed.  
[For a complete record of the discussion, please see available video  
format.]  
Moved by Commissioner Kaplan seconded by Commissioner  
Calderon  
I move that the Commission issue a certificate of appropriateness  
for the portion of the application at 717 West Liberty Street, which  
contains a contributing structure in the Old West Side Historic  
District, to construct a two-story house with an attached garage and  
pave a new driveway. As proposed, the work is compatible in  
exterior design, arrangement, texture, material and relationship to  
the surrounding area and meets the Ann Arbor Historic District  
Design Guidelines for All New Construction, New Construction in  
Residential Settings, and Paved Areas; and The Secretary of the  
Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for  
Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, in particular standards 1, 2, 9 and  
10 and the guidelines for Building Site and District/Neighborhood.  
Commission Discussion:  
The Commission took into consideration the presented application  
and discussed the matter. [For a complete record of the discussion,  
please see available video format.]  
On a voice vote the vote was as follows with the Chair declaring the  
motion denied. Vote 1-4.  
1 - Kaplan  
Yeas:  
Nays:  
4 - Chair Rochlen, Calderon, Nisbett, and Carter  
2 - Ross, and Smith  
Absent:  
F.  
HEARINGS  
None.  
G.  
NEW BUSINESS  
G-1.  
Commissioners reviewed the content of the chapter and discussed any  
proposed changes. [For a complete record of the discussion, please see  
available video format.]  
H.  
APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
H-1.  
Attachments:  
Historic District Committee Meeting Minutes of February  
2026.pdf  
The February 2026 Historic District Commission meeting minutes  
were unanimously approved by the Commission and forwarded to  
City Council.  
I.  
REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONERS  
None.  
J.  
ASSIGNMENTS  
J-1.  
2026 Regular Meeting  
Commissioners Steve Kaplan and Ben Calderon volunteered for the  
Monday, April 6, 2026 HDC Review Committee.  
K.  
L.  
REPORTS FROM STAFF  
Principal Planner Jill Thacher announced that the Annual Retreat will be  
held on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The Commission discussed potential  
topics for the retreat.  
CONCERNS OF COMMISSIONERS  
None.  
M.  
COMMUNICATIONS  
M-1.  
Gage Letter of Support HDC26-0006 Letter.pdf  
Attachments:  
Received and filed.  
N.  
ADJOURNMENT  
The meeting was unanimously adjourned at 8:13 pm.  
David Rochlen, Chairperson  
Jill Thacher, HDC Staff Coordinator/Planner  
Brittany Alexander, Administrative Assistant  
These meetings are typically broadcast on Ann Arbor Community Television Network Comcast 16 /  
AT&T 99 live, and recent meetings can also be streamed online from the CTN Video On Demand page of  
available for a nominal fee by contacting CTN at (734) 794-6150.